Ultimate One-Day Gibraltar Itinerary

If you ever find yourself in southern Spain, you need to make time to visit the small but charming Gibraltar. If you’re not that interested yet, I’m sure this one-day Gibraltar itinerary will seal the deal. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, so it really does feel like you’ve been transported to a small town in the UK sprinkled with pubs, chippies, and UK flags. That also means the currency used in Gibraltar is the British Pound rather than the Euro. The main attraction here is, of course, the Rock of Gibraltar, which takes up most of the 2 ½ square mile peninsula and juts up a dramatic 1,398 feet above sea level. 

The unique, monolithic limestone formation contains over 100 caves, is home to the famous Barbary Macaque monkeys, and was used as a base for the British military for three centuries, including during World War II. The city is a perfect mix of quaint British culture in the city center and exciting nature and wildlife in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. There’s something here for everyone! The main focus of this post is on the sites within the nature reserve since that’s where we spent most of our day. I’m sharing all our tips and tricks to help you plan the ultimate one-day Gibraltar itinerary.

Getting to Gibraltar

For the purpose of this blog post, I’m going to assume you’re staying somewhere in Spain and heading to Gibraltar just for a day trip. It’s likely you’re already planning on renting a car if you’re staying in southern Spain, but if not, I’d highly recommend it as it’s the easiest way to get around to all the different towns.

Plan to arrive in Gibraltar early! The Gibraltar Nature Reserve, which encompasses the entirety of the rock, opens at 9:30 a.m. I recommend arriving around that time if you are hiking to the top because it gets hot fast on the eastern cliff face, and you do not want to be making that hike in the afternoon. Have a general idea of your ideal Gibraltar itinerary before heading out to make sure you leave enough time for everything.

Border Control

Most importantly, I highly advise against driving into Gibraltar. The lines to get in and out through border control are endless. You’re much better off parking in Spain and walking in. There is a large underground parking garage just on the Spanish side of the border in the town called La Linea de la Concepción, known by the locals as simply La Linea. The parking garage has a very reasonable fare of €7 per day. Next, you’ll head to border control. Yep, that means you’ll need your passports. Please don’t make the same mistake we did and drive all the way there only to realize you left your passports at the accommodation! We even knew we’d need them and still forgot…rookie mistake.

Getting through border control on foot is a painless process. You’ll get stamped out of Spain in one building then head to the next building to get stamped into Gibraltar. They didn’t do any sort of bag checks when we came just for the day, but we did have to run our luggage through an x-ray machine when we entered Spain after flying into Gibraltar. Once you make it through border control and into Gibraltar, you’ll walk across the airport runway (so cool, right?!) and into the town.

On Your Way to the Rock

Once you get to the other side of the runway, it’s about a 45-minute walk down Main Street to the start of the hike. It’s a nice stroll through the center of town and will be relatively quiet at this hour, which makes for some good photos. This is a good opportunity to stop somewhere for breakfast or pick something up to eat along the way. You’ll certainly need your energy for the day ahead, so don’t skip breakfast! I also recommend having some snacks packed for the hike if you plan to take the Mediterranean Steps. We picked up pastries and coffee to-go from The Gibraltar Bakery in Casemates Square and enjoyed it on our way to the reserve.

Getting to the Top

Entry to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve costs £18 for adults or £12 for children (ages 2-11), and infants get in free. You can purchase these tickets at the bottom of the Mediterranean Steps using cash or credit card. There are also other ticket offices by the cable car and along the paved path.

Option 1: Cable Car

There are a few different ways to get to the top of the rock. The quickest and least strenuous option is to take the cable car to the top. The car runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (last car up at 5:15 p.m.) and costs £19 per adult or £9 per child for a return ticket. It takes just 6 minutes to get to the top and is a great option for those short on time or with limited mobility.

Option 2: Walking Path

If you want to walk up but want an easier route, take the paved paths to the top. The path goes past Moorish Castle and the World War II Tunnels. You can also choose to go back down the same way or take the Mediterranean Steps down.

Option 3: Mediterranean Steps

We chose to go up by climbing the Mediterranean Steps. This is the way I would recommend if you have the time and are physically able because the views simply can’t be beaten. The path begins by Jew’s Gate Cemetery and takes you up along the eastern cliff-face of the rock that you wouldn’t otherwise get to see. We started early around 10:30 a.m., and the path was quite empty and peaceful. This allowed us to take in all of the scenery and enjoy the mostly private hike.

Along the way to the top, you’ll come across some cool sites including Vanguard Cave and a few old batteries. The climb is split up into a few sections of stairs giving you time in between to catch your breath. It took us just under an hour and a half to reach the top. Overall, I wouldn’t say the hike is too terribly strenuous if you are in decent physical shape. While you could probably complete the hike with regular tennis shoes, proper hiking boots would be a definite advantage. I also want to point out that there are some pretty steep drops along the path with loose footing, so I would say it’s probably not suitable for small children. 

There is also a nice viewpoint a little over halfway up that is a great photo location as well as a nice spot to sit and take a break, eat a snack, and replenish your energy for the rest of the hike.

Can you believe these views?!

Side note: If you want a way to take solo photos or photos with your partner without having to ask others, this travel tripod from Amazon is a staple in my suitcase! It’s super compact and extends all the way up to 60 inches, so you can set it on the ground and still get eye-level photos.

Top of the Rock

O’Hara’s Battery

Once you make it to the highest point of the rock, you’ll end up right at O’Hara’s battery, which was constructed in 1890 and used during World War II. The battery was built to defend the Strait of Gibraltar. You can tour the engine house and go underneath the gears of the giant gun with an impressive range long enough to reach the African shore.

St. Michael’s Cave

Next, you’ll want to visit St. Michael’s Cave to study the incredible rock formations. We, unfortunately, missed seeing this because there was just so much to see, and at this time we were a bit tunnel-visioned to heading towards the restaurant for lunch. The photos of it look spectacular though, so don’t miss out on this like we did! That’s why I’m sharing this Gibraltar itinerary to help you avoid our mistakes.

Skywalk & Barbary Macaques

After exploring the cave, head towards the Skywalk for more panoramic views and to meet the famous Barbary macaques. These monkeys are so cute and entertaining from a distance, but be careful to not get too close and respect their space as they are still wild animals. Having lived in Gibraltar for 300 years, they are accustomed to being around humans but can get aggressive if cornered. In fact, they are so comfortable around humans that they’ll try to steal things right out of your hands. They especially love to sneak up and snatch bottles out of your backpack. Sounds cute, but it’s terrifying when you’re trying to quickly sneak down a narrow flight of stairs and a monkey comes barreling down the stone railing past you heading straight for your unsuspecting boyfriend. Sure gave us a good laugh though.

Lunch with a View

Finally, it’s time for lunch! You’ll probably be ravenous by this point, so thankfully there is a restaurant and cafe not far from the Skywalk. You could also pack a picnic lunch if you want to save some money.

Downstairs is a fancier restaurant section called Mons Calpe Suite, after the Roman name for the rock, Mons Calpe. The restaurant has a gorgeous panoramic view with an upscale menu and is by reservation only. Honestly, after climbing the Mediterranean Steps, we were sweaty and disgusting and would have felt very out of place here. Thankfully, the casual cafe upstairs, Top of the Rock Cafe, allows walk-ins and offers a variety of food and drinks. The cafe fills up quickly around lunchtime though, so try to go during off-peak times. We both got sandwiches, crisps, and, a Scottish favorite, chips with curry sauce to make us feel right at home. We also got a bottle of Bush’s Gibraltar Barbary Beer because we love trying local brews, and there’s nothing better after a long hike than a nice, cold pint.

Afternoon Activities

After lunch, we bravely made our way down the long, narrow flights of stairs, which the Barbary Macaques notoriously occupy, and we barely made it out unscathed. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic.

Great Siege Tunnels

Our next stop was Caroline’s Battery and the Great Siege Tunnels. This tunnel network was carved from the limestone on the northern end of the Rock of Gibraltar in the late 18th century during the American Revolutionary War as France and Spain attempted to gain control of Gibraltar from Great Britain. The 82-foot tunnel was dug all the way from one side of the rock clean through to the other side and had narrow openings along the way with cannons and guns positioned for defense. Due to the delicate nature of limestone, the work had to be done carefully by hand with sledgehammers to prevent creating faults in the rock. You can walk the entire length of the tunnel and read all about the history, which we both found fascinating.

Windsor Suspension Bridge

After the Great Siege Tunnels, I recommend taking a short detour to see the Windsor Suspension Bridge. The spectacular 71-meter bridge crosses over a 50-meter-deep gorge and offers clear views out over the Bay of Gibraltar. It’s worth the visit just for the photo ops!

World War II Tunnels

Now you can make your way to another network of tunnels that the British military dug during World War II. We actually ended up skipping this since we already explored the Great Siege Tunnels and were running low on steam. However, we poked our heads inside, and it looked like they were doing official tours with hard hats. It seemed interesting, so you may want to consider skipping the Great Seige Tunnels and touring the World War II Tunnels instead if you only do one. Customize your Gibraltar itinerary to whatever interests you most.

Moorish Castle

Finally, just past the World War II Tunnels is Moorish Castle. This medieval fortification was originally built by the Moorish in the 8th century and was also partially used as the Gibraltar prison until 2010. Moorish refers to the Muslim population in Northwestern Africa at that time, and they ruled Gibraltar before it was taken over by the Spanish and now the British. You can pop in and climb to the top for some more views, or, if your legs can’t take any more climbing, just take in the view from the outside or relax by the wee coy pond.

Time for a Pint!

After you’ve seen everything you want to see at the top, make your way down the path past Moorish Castle. You’ll end right back up in the center of town. By this point around 4:00 p.m., we were exhausted, so we decided to find a nice pub for a pint (or two!) before making the 30-minute walk back to the car. We stumbled upon a pub called The Horseshoe on Main Street. As we drank our pints, we filtered through the day’s photos and reminisced about our favorite parts. 

The owner was friendly and struck up a conversation with us. After realizing I was American, he asked me to quiz him on all of the states and capitals. He confidently said the next round was on him if he got any wrong…he didn’t! It was quite impressive, and we continued to joke with each other the rest of the time we were there. The pints were nice and the atmosphere was exactly what we needed after a long but fun day.

Our day trip to Gibraltar ended up being my favorite day of our entire trip. The weather was beautiful for hiking and expansive views, and we really enjoyed learning about the rich history of this famous, giant rock. Climbing the Mediterranean Steps was such a rewarding hike, and all of the other sites on the Upper Rock far exceeded my expectations. I would argue that a trip to this area is worth it to visit Gibraltar alone. I am so glad we had the opportunity to visit this unique destination, and I hope this inspired you to plan your own unforgettable day trip to Gibraltar!

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